Tuesday, July 28, 2015

If you are a big fan of Chocolate, this will be an extremely big news for you!

Salon Du Chocolat, the chocolate boutique dessert restaurant who are already famous in KL has finally opened up their first branch in Penang!

As one of the most popular and people's favourite, Salon Du Chocolat is bring this chocolate fever to Penang targeting all the sweet tooth and chocolate lovers with their signature chocolate desserts like crepe, waffles, brownies, Sundae and many more.

Salon Du Chocolat is located at the Ground Floor of Gurney Paragon Mall, which was previously where Moo Cow Frozen Yoghurt was located, on the same row with Morganfield's. You can easily spot it if you were to enter from Gurney Drive entrance.

Inside has got limited seatings, so do expect some queue during peak hours.

They have 3 choices of chocolates, Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate or White Chocolate.

For most of the dishes on the menu, you will get to choose your preferred chocolate flavours.

It is pretty interesting to see those chocolate sauce flowing from the Chocolate Fountain, which is something I love to see as well, rather appetizing and attractive.

I ordered a Cafe Latte and a half waffle. Latte is priced at RM9.50 for a cup, the coffee was rather bitter nutty which is rather my kind of coffee. Milk froth wasn't smooth enough and it got quite bubbles on the texture. Next time I would want to try their chocolate drinks if I were to go again as they seem good on others' tables.

The chocolate dishes I ordered was Chocolate Waffle (Half). Priced at RM19.00 each, Full waffle would be RM35.00 each. It is rather pricey for a waffle desserts but the chocolate they have added into the waffle has really flooded the waffle. Do expect that it is rather sweet if you are going for white chocolate or milk chocolate. My waffle was average to sweet as I mix dark chocolate with milk chocolate. The waffle was very delicious and little bit of crispy as they cook on the spot. It is rather heavy to have so much chocolate at once, but having this once in a while could be just great!

Monday, July 27, 2015

It was quite some time ago that I got invited to the first Jump Street Trampoline Park in Penang which is newly opened in D'Piazza Penang.

Jump Street Penang is the first ever Trampoline Park also also one of Asia's Largest Trampoline Parks. Other than just typical Trampoline Park, they are also organizing several events to attract more visitors and have fun in the park.

I was invited on a Friday night to attend their "Keep Calm And Jump On" Friday night party. Where Jump Street will bring over some DJ to spin some musics and additional activities will be happening around the park.

The entrance of Jump Street looks pretty normal to me, but I got blown off when I entered the park.

Other than just jumping activities, they are also selling merchandises like T-shirts, Caps, and many more. Food and drinks are also available in the park.

The entrance fee is as below:RM22 (Off Peak) and RM27(Peak)Grip Socks is compulsory to enter the park, and it is selling at RM5 per pair

There are house rules that must be obey to keep yourself and others safe

So Jump Street is organizing this "Keep Calm And Jump On" Friday Night party every Friday without any extra charges. They will have break dance session where you can join them if you are capable to do all those street dance.

The event was quite happening and attracted quite a number of visitors.
There was a competition and it is kinda interesting to watch them dancing.

Lockers are available in the park for you to keep your stuff, it is charge at RM4 to RM6 per locker.

Buy your tickets and your grip socks, then you are ready to have fun!

This was my first Trampoline Park experience and I was rather surprised to find that there are so many activities that you can do with Trampoline Bed.
First section of the park was this Slam Dunk, where you can try to jump on the trampoline to do a Slam Dunk! Though I've failed because I'm afraid that I could tear the basket down.

Second activity that we could do is this Dodge Ball. The Dodge Ball section was covered with net so that the balls wouldn't hit other people who are not playing. I find it very difficult to play Dodge Ball on Trampoline Beds, but it is rather tiring and a good workout indeed. You should go in a big group to make this game more interesting and exciting as more players could lead to a harder game.

The largest section would be this Main Court, where you can jump freely around all the trampoline beds. It is kind fun if you can be more creative and think of some games or any activities that you can do with your friends.

Battle Beam was my top favourite game in Jump Street. There will be 2 persons standing on the center bridge and fighting each other with the provided beam. Of course the one who fell first would be out of the game. Though it has got nothing to do with trampoline but I did enjoyed playing this with my friends. Probably because I won the game. Lol.

The next one would be Tower Jump, where you just jump on the Trampoline bed as high as you can and then land on the balloon in front of you. You may think that this is just nothing fun, but how high can you jump on a trampoline bed? It is rather challenging and you won't know until you have try it.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Eté Cafe is located in one of the most hidden corner in George Town, where there are also a few hidden gems around the area.
It is a simple and cozy cafe owned by a Taiwanese that decided to settle down in Penang with his specialty in French Pastries and Desserts.

My last visit was quite some time ago, and I went very early in the morning where they didn't even start their business yet, but thank goodness they are kind enough to let me in first.

There weren't much choices for me yet, and I was still full from my brunch and therefore I ordered a cup of espresso to go with their signature macarons. Their coffee is rather aromatic with a hint of bitter fruity flavour. Selling at RM5 per cup.
There were many flavours available but I choose green tea, rose and sea salt flavour. All three were rather flavourful and special than just typical sweet macarons. You can really taste the flavours in the fillings of every macaron. The sea salt flavour really did blew me off with the salty taste of macaron. Macarons are selling at RM15 for 3 pieces.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Today is the day that Uber is giving out free ice cream to all users in Penang!
Nothing quite encapsulates the memories of your childhood than enjoying ice cream with friends – and this Friday, Uber is taking you back to your childhood with ice cream on demand.

Scheduled to be run simultaneously in over 250 cities around the world, this will be Uber’s largest event of the year – and Uber Malaysia is excited to be participating for the first time in this event.

While global in nature, UberIceCream in Malaysia will have a distinctly local flavour to it – flavours that Malaysians of all ages will recognise and love. This time, Uber Penang is bringing you Kochabi! a maker of traditional ‘ice-cream potong’ to deliver that sense of nostalgia to riders with flavours such as durian, red bean and mango. We will be serving 6 different local flavours in each order at RM25.

Uber Penang is partnering with Kochabi, a maker of traditional ‘ice-cream potong’ to deliver that sense of nostalgia to riders with flavours such as durian, red bean and mango. We will be serving you 6 different local flavours in each order at RM25.

How To Order:

Download the Uber app from the App Store or Play Store. If you’re new to Uber, enter the promo code UBERICECREAMPG in the Promotions tab within your app and you’ll get your ice cream for free!

Slide right to the ‘Ice Cream’ icon and tap ‘Set Pickup Location’

If an UberIceCream vehicle is in the vicinity, you’ll receive your Ice Cream in minutes!
Some #UberIceCream details:

Users in Penang will be able to get their frozen treats between 11:00am – 5:00pm.

No cash is needed. Your order is charged straight to your payment card on your Uber account.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

I'm definitely an ice cream lover and thank god I managed to be the first to try this delicious Ice Cream with Honey Comb, selling at RM14.90 each cup. I would say that it is rather expensive for a cup of ice cream, but if you were to think about them using real honey, then it would consider rather reasonable.

Well I'm pretty lucky to be there early as they were having 2 days of "Buy One Free One" promotion. So I bought 2 cup of ice cream at only RM14.90. It tasted pretty awesome and I didn't expect that honey could go so well with vanilla ice cream! Definitely a must for sweet tooth like me!

Honey Creme is located at the basement floor of Gurney Plaza, it is not difficult to spot on as there are not many stalls around the that floor.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

I've been missing it a lot especially those juicy and tender barbecue meats that make every bite so delicious and satisfying.

I have heard many people have been saying that why Beep Beep Q is only opens at night but not during lunch time?

Good news is, Beep Beep Q is now available during lunch time as well as a la carte menu is now available in the restaurant as they also came to know that some people have small appetite but they wish to try those delicious barbecue dishes in Beep Beep Q. Other than that, they have also got some new items on the menu that will catch your attention for sure!

Beep Beep Q Restaurant could be a great dining place, especially when you are planning for a bbq party and lazy to prepare. Furthermore you don't need to get your hands dirty, everything can be solved at Beep Beep Q Restaurant.

Little W of Beep Beep Q do change style from time to time.
I've seen Imin decorated it as Rudolph during Christmas too!

Introducing one of the new drink, Mojito priced at RM15.90 per glass(bottle). A refreshing mocktail that surely goes well with barbecue meats. Mojito is full with the taste of mint, not really my regular drink but it is indeed good to go with grilled meats. Or you can also try their Mojito with Rum (RM25.90) if you would like alcohol in your Mojito.

Salad is available all night long for those who go with buffet, as well as mashed potatoes, soup and drinks too.

Introducing one of the new item on Beep Beep Q's menu, the ultimate Thai Style Grilled Fish!
This is a picture of how the fish is cook. Wrapped in Aluminium Foil, and there's salt in there!

This is how it looks on the table!

A whole delicious Thai Style Grilled Fish!

Beep Beep Q uses fresh water fish for this dish. The fish was perfectly cook and maintained its moist. As we all know that barbecue fish will tend to become overcooked and the meat will be dry and stick all over the aluminium foil. This one was perfectly done without any mistakes. It is a little salty with a hint of lemongrass. I was told by Imin that this is Thai's traditional grilled fish that they brought over the recipe from Thai.

Their Thai Style Grilled Fish is only available for advance order only as Beep Beep Q would like to make sure the fish they serve are fresh. So if you would like to try this dish, make sure you make your booking in advance. It is available on the buffet with pre order or a la carte pre order at RM30.00 each.

Grilled Prawns is priced at RM20.00 per plate. A plate of fresh prawns grilled to perfections. The portion is rather generous for that kind of price. Most importantly is you don't have to stand beside the hot stove yourself and someone will get it done for you. Another highlight would be the lime chilli sauce that went perfectly with the prawns. Simply delicious!

If you have read my previous post. Then you should know that my top favourite in Beep Beep Q would be this Bacon Wrapped! Now it is also available on the a la carte menu at only RM15 for 8 Bacon Wrapped! It is simply juicy and delicious that golden mushrooms wrapped with bacon and grilled to perfection!

Next would be this thick, juicy and tender Porkloin Chop! It is grilled with their homemade sweet honey sauce. 2 big pieces of pork loin with sides of salad and mashed potato priced at only RM16.00. Don't you think it is consider very cheap?

My previous post also mentioned about how delicious the Lamb Shoulder was. It is also one of the highly recommended item on the a la carte menu priced at RM25.00 per plate. The seasoning was still how it tasted last time, maintaining its quality making me still in love with it and also want more of it! Good job!

The Chicken Thigh on a la carte menu is served along with black pepper sausage. Seasoned with homemade barbecue sauce is also one of the wise choice that made the chicken tasted delicious. I only find it a bit over priced for this dish, RM16.00. I would go for Porkloin Chop for the same price since I'm a big eater.

Another favourite of mine would be Grilled Fish. The Dory fishes were seasoned with garlic butter sauce and priced at only RM20.00 for a generous portion. Squeeze the sliced lemon into the grilled fish and it will taste heavenly! This dish would just be perfect to me because I'm a big fan of Dory fish as well as garlic butter! They made a perfect match! Highly recommended!

Last but not least, I believe this is also what you guys want! Spicy Chicken Wings!
The a la carte order of Spicy Chicken Wings is priced at RM15.00 per plate. For me, barbecue will not be completed without chicken wings, especially a hot and spicy chicken wings that will stimulate your taste buds.

I was really happy that I get to try all the delicious dishes in Beep Beep Q Restaurant again! And my newly added favourite would be the Thai Style Grilled Fish! So remember to call them up before going so that you can try out the new dish too!

Monday, June 29, 2015

When it comes to nice pictures, I think I'm very passionate and willing to spend some time on brewing a nice photo.
Taking photos is one of my hobby also also my passion. I'm the type that could just pull over just to capture some nice shoots or scenes that I saw and share it with my friends.

If you were to follow my social media, you will realize that my Instagram (www.instagram.com/jjzai) is totally different from my other social media.
Some of my friends keep asking me how did I edit my photos and make those photos look so nice.
What I always told my friends was:
1. To make a photo looks nice, you have to imagine that your object is beautiful.
2. Spend more time on taking photos, if you do not have a the passion of taking photos, then don't talk about photo editing.
3. Play with your photo editing apps, get familiar with it. (Recommended apps: VSCO, Fotorus, Phonto and etc)
4. Visit other instagrammers' profiles, learn more about photography.
5. Take more photos, edit more photos and get familiar with it.

Life is full with uncertainties, why not we just spend a little bit more time and capture the beautiful moments we saw and share it with others?

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Sarkies in Eastern & Oriental Hotel would be my last Ramadhan food review.

Named as one of the best buffet restaurant in Penang, Sarkies still deserved the title they have earned.

Serving more than 100 dishes, they are offering more than what customers could have expected.

The E&O Hotel's ever-popular breaking fast buffet will run from 18th June until 16th July 2015 and offers a delightful blend of traditional dishes served during the Hari Raya Season as well as Malaysia and international favourites from all over the world.

From the appetizer corner, they have salad along with different kind of dressing as well as pickles

Ulam is available on the menu to meet the theme of the buffet, which is Jamuan Berbuka Puasa to celebrate the month of Ramadhan.

Other than just the Ramadhan dishes, they still maintain some of the dishes available during the International Buffet Dinner.

Some Malay Salads like Spicy Chicken Salad, Acar Rampai, Chicken Mango and many more also available on the buffet spread. I'm pretty sure they would be served as one of the best appetizers.

The signature cold cuts on ice like Tuna, Yellow Tail and Salmon are also available during the Jamuan Berbuka Puasa Buffet

Some of the must have at Sarkies are like Oyster Cocktail, Blanched Shrimps, Spanner Crab and Green Mussels are also available on the cold cut corner, too bad the Snow Crab is not available during our visit.

Moving to the roasted corner, we still have the signature E&O Roasted Duck, Roasted Chicken, Roasted Lamb and Roasted Beef. All still maintain its quality, juicy and tender.

There are all sorts of Traditional Malay Dishes available on the hot dishes section. Pictures below from left to right(top to bottom) are Lamb Stew with Carrot & Potato, Steamed Seabass King Soya & Coriander Chili, Lamb Rojan Josh, and Chicken Tikka. I really like how they chopped their lamb into small cubes and it is very easy to eat along with rice or just nice to eat like that. Chicken Tikka was pretty good too, only I find it a bit too oily on the surface of the dish.

Chicken Tangine with Green Olive& Lemon Zest, Sze Chuan Chicken, Fried Squid Ring Tom Yam, Nasi Tomato, Lamb Korma, and Mutton Curry. All of the available dishes were equally good, especially Lamb Korma, which is tender and juicy. I'm surprise to find out that the Tomato Rice is good to go with the Malay dishes available here, making my meal more complete and appetizing.

Beef Goulash, Foo Young Stir Fried Eggs, Sautéed Vegetables, Udang Kering Bersantan and Ayam Percik with Peanut Sauce. Apart from Malay dishes, Sarkies also offers Asian dishes including Chinese and Indian on their buffet spread. Which is rather friendly to all Malaysians and more varieties for us to choose.

Fried Spring Rolls & Fried Samosa

Baked whole Salmon & Cheese Baked Oyster
Both were heavenly good!

Roasted Whole Lamb, a must for Ramadhan! Though the lamb looks rather skinny, but the meat was real damn good! I personally love the outer layer of the lamb very much as it is much more crispier and tasted nicer served with mint and black pepper sauce.

Chef in action! Cutting the lamb for all the customers

Another dish that blew me off was the Curry Salmon Fish Head, the curry was sweet and creamy. Best to go with the breads available at the bread corner. Or you can also order the Roti Canai from the chef and they will prepare for you on the spot.

Other than that, they also have Satay that grill on the spot, choices available are Chicken, Lamb and Beef. Best to go with Peanut Sauce.

Everything is grill on the spot, even better when the satay is a bit burnt.

One of my favourite would be Teh Tarik!
Look at the barista in action!
Remember to ask for less sweet if you are not a fan of sweet Teh Tarik

Kebab was also available this year, which is something that wasn't available last year.
But I do find that the kebab was a bit too dry, anyway it tastes good with the sauce.

The also have Indian Corner, Char Koay Teow and Noodle Station available for the customers

Char Koay Teow at Sarkies was not bad, furthermore it is Pork Free!

Look at the size of the shrimps!

The noodle of the day was Prawn Noodle, you can actually choose whatever ingredients you like on the selection table to be added into your noodle and enjoy a bowl of delicious prawn noodle!

Moving to desserts, there were more than 20 types of desserts available. Rojak was one of the most favourable desserts. Mixture of all sorts of fruits like pineapple, cucumber, pink guava and many more with the heavenly Rojak Sauce is one of the signature food of Penang.

Look at all the colourful and attractive desserts! And my favourite macarons are available too!

Mixture of fruit sticks

How can we forget about the mouth watering Malay Kuih-Muih when we talk about Ramadhan buffet? The Pulut Inti is one of the best that I've ever tasted as I'm a big fan of sticky glutinous rice. Kuih Talam is also my top favourite, and the one here was really great!

When we are talking about varieties, I believe Sarkies @ E&O Hotel would be the only that offered the most varieties in their buffet spread. Even their desserts corner are full with gems! Perfect for people with sweet tooth! Don't you think? Below are photos of Cream Puffs, Chocolate Brownies, Tiramisu, Green Tea Cake and etc.

Pecan Pie & White Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Lastly, there are also Ice Kacang and Chendol available on the dessert corner too. Or you may go for ice cream with the available toppings to finish your meal.

That sums up of my reviews for Ramadhan buffet.I believe that Sarkies @ E&O Hotel would be the one that offered the most varieties. Though the price is slightly higher than other hotels, but I'm sure it will be a great opportunity for people with big appetite to have a big feast here in E&O Hotel.